Meet Mediaedge:cia's Global Solutions Chief

Andrew McLean to Grow and Diversify Agency's Client List and Services

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- While most of the ad industry is rumbling about personnel diversity, Mediaedge:cia is thinking about diversity a little differently -- diversity of media offerings. The WPP Group agency has appointed the former chief client officer of its global solutions division, Andrew McLean, to be president-global clients and business development.
Andrew McLean has been named Mediaedge:cia's president-global clients and business development.
Mr. McLean, 41, will be responsible for diversifying client business, and therefore, driving Mediaedge:cia's own diversification of services, said Charles Courtier, global CEO, Mediaedge:cia.

Growth of business
The big idea behind the diversity push is the growth of both client and agency business. Client growth isn't likely to come from further consolidations or increased investments in traditional media. And when a client's business grows, so does the agency's, Mr. Courtier said.

"We've gone through the era of consolidation, in most cases all large global media companies are consolidated and the large majority of clients have consolidated their business," Mr. McLean said.

"If we're driving growth with a client, it is unlikely that the growth is going to come from spending an extra 10% on network TV around the world," Mr. Courtier said, adding: "It's much more likely the growth, both of the clients business and of our business, is going be through the diversification of that spend into other services."

Diversity of investment
Mediaedge:cia has invested in nontraditional areas such as retail, interaction, sponsorship and branded entertainment, Mr. McLean said. "The challenge is for us to bring value out of those enhanced offerings to our clients and to our people as well," he said.

Mr. McLean started off as a TV buyer 20 years ago, and joined Mediaedge:cia in 1999 from the Walt Disney Co.